


of past promises

by evanescent



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Future Fic, Gen, a little crack-ish i suppose, bruce is #shook, mentioned steph/cass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 12:40:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8144383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evanescent/pseuds/evanescent
Summary: Bruce decides to keep a promise he made to Stephanie years ago.(Alternatively known as the time Bruce and Stephanie fly the Batplane and talk about things.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> three years later i can't believe i have batman wips in my drafts again. coming back to comics was a mistake
> 
> the other day i read robin #128 and [this scene](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Csvrv2bWYAAT-J9.jpg) made me want to write a fic based upon it, so

Almost three months before Stephanie’s birthday, Bruce calls her and invites her to come over to the Cave in the evening. Technically, he’s retired; has been for years now, but he can’t quite help sticking around and so, while waiting for her, he’s reading Tim’s report on a series of murders in the Narrows.

“This better be good, B,” Stephanie calls, killing the engine of her motorcycle and taking off the helmet. “I had to bail out on a reunion with my old university friends and I was _so_ looking forward to getting drunk tonight.”

Bruce doesn’t outwardly react to this obvious attempt to get a rise out of him, but privately he wonders if Stephanie and Jason haven’t been spending a little too much time together lately. “Thank you for coming, despite that,” he says simply, closing the file and getting up. “Follow me, would you?”

He can feel Stephanie boring holes in the back of his neck, but she follows him eventually; to her credit, she doesn’t ask any questions and only raises one eyebrow when they stand in front of the Batplane.

“Are you feeling up to a flight tonight?” Bruce asks as he boards the plane and begins to start it up.

“Can I be frank, Bruce?” Stephanie answers with a question. He gives an affirmative growl in reply, but she’s already plunging on, “You’re being cryptic, which is not new or anything, but you’re also being… nice, I guess, like, asking instead of giving orders, and it’s kind of freaking me out? Are you okay? You’re not dying again, are you?”

Humming quietly, Bruce looks down at Stephanie, eyes narrowed, arms crossed over her chest. “No, I’m not. So, are you coming?”

Suddenly, she grins. “To fly the Batplane with the Batman? Sure.”

“I’m not Batman anymore,” he reminds her as she climbs into the seat next to him.

“Yeah, I know, I was just being polite. You know Cass is my favorite Batman, anyway,” she replies easily, fastening her belt. _Fair enough_ , Bruce thinks. “Actually, does she know you’re taking the plane?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, and do you know to fly this thing? This is like, the newest model. Are you up to date?” she teases and Bruce feels both faintly amused slightly and ticked off at the unsaid _you’re old_ jab.

“I am. Ready?”

“As ever.”

It’s a nice night outside and Bruce maintains the invisibility mode while they’re flying above Gotham. He shows Stephanie some upgrades and notes changes in the control system that made the machine easier to fly. In turn, she swiftly connects with the Internet and stars playing obnoxious pop music as they pass the bay. He grunts at that, but makes no move to shut it down.

Eventually, Bruce puts the plane down on a rooftop of a warehouse just shy of the outskirts of Gotham. Looking at the city and its lights from afar is calming in a way, a good way to distance himself; he hasn’t done it in awhile.

“So,” Stephanie starts, crossing her legs. “What was that about, B?”

He glances at her; she’s at ease, checking readings of their surroundings from the thermo sensors with one hand, the other steadily drumming out a rhythm on her knee. Some time ago she cut her hair short again; it’s not exactly like Cassandra’s bob cut, but it suits Stephanie in her own way. Makes her look just a little more mature, a little more confident.

“I’m not sure if you remember, but during your tenure as Robin,” Stephanie slightly tilts her head at that, “I promised I’d teach you how to fly the Batplane before your 35th birthday. I’ve never forgotten about it, but, truth be told, it resurfaced into my mind just recently, and I decided to make good on that promise.”

Stephanie fully turns to face him now, watching him, evaluating. “You realize Damian showed me how to handle the basics years ago,” she says, voice level. “After that fight with Penguin and Mr. Freeze when I had to take up the reins in chaos and ended up almost knocking Dick down from a twenty-story building.”

“It was quite an incident,” Bruce admits.

She snorts. “So it was. I thought Barbara was going to have my head for this, but she just laughed when we told her about it.” Stephanie pauses and Bruce gives her time to collect her thoughts. “And of course I remember when you said that. I didn’t expect you to ever act upon that, though, since you fired me and all that jazz.” She makes an aborted hand gesture. “And I certainly didn’t expect that now.”

“I’m a man of few words, so I usually mean things I say,” he says after a moment. Something in Stephanie’s eyes gleams at that.

“That you do. Now, move, I want to pilot.”

The air is chilly against Bruce’s face as he steps out of the plane to let Stephanie take the pilot seat. He knows there’s a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he watches her buckle up and run her fingers over controls, not bothering to mask her excitement. She tends to take things in stride, but with a touch of uncertainty, like she doesn’t believe she’s here, she’s doing this and it won’t be suddenly taken from her. Bruce still feels guilty about planting that seed of doubt in her.

Apparently satisfied, Stephanie leans over to speak to him. “I appreciate that you kept this promise, Bruce. But the next time you’d like some quality bonding time, you don’t have to pull shit from years ago.” She grins. “Now, if you’d excuse me, I need to grab Cass from patrol, so we can fly to Vegas. She’s been thinking about a spring wedding and I like the idea, you know? We’ll be back by morning, worry not. Thanks!”

And with that, Stephanie takes off, like she was born to steal Bruce’s planes and daughters right from under his nose.

And maybe she was. Bruce is surprised, but he also feels strangely proud of her. Doubt or not, there hardly are things that could stop Stephanie from doing what she wants.

(bonus.)

That feeling wears off quickly, though, as Bruce remembers he’s miles from the Manor, with no means to get back home. He searches his pockets for the wallet, but he didn’t take it, not expecting to need money. _Always be prepared, fool_ , Bruce thinks to himself grimly.

However, he’s got his phone, so he can make a call. Bruce opens his short contact list and pauses, thumb hovering over the names of his children. He considers his options for a long moment, frowning. But it’s getting cold and it’s not like he particularly _wants_ to spend the night on the rooftop.

He sighs and dials one of the numbers, the lesser evil.

“Duke? There was an incident. Could you come… pick me up?”

**Author's Note:**

> idk i like to pretend i'm funny sometimes ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
